Apparatus for charging emergency battery using thermoelectric generation device in nuclear power plant

Abstract

An apparatus for charging an emergency battery, which provides an emergency power to an emergency core cooling apparatus including an electric pump or a steam pump includes a thermoelectric generation device configured to detect a decay heat and a residual heat produced in a nuclear power plant and configured to convert the detected heat to an electric energy; an electric energy conversion unit connected to the thermoelectric generation device to output a current generated in the thermoelectric generation device as a constant voltage; and the emergency battery configured to store a power outputted from the electric energy conversion unit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0091157, filed Sep. 08, 2011.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an apparatus for charging an emergency battery to supply an emergency power to an emergency core cooling apparatus of a nuclear power plant, and more particularly to an apparatus for charging an emergency battery by using a decay heat and a residual heat generated in a nuclear plant by installing a thermoelectric generation device on a nuclear power generation system such as, for example, a nuclear reactor, a hot leg pipe, a cold leg pipe, and a steam generator, which has a temperature difference therein.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In a nuclear power plant using a pressurized water reactor, an unexpected safety accident can occur even if a design of the nuclear power plant has an adequate ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a device designed to charge an emergency battery in a nuclear power plant. It includes a thermoelectric generation device that detects and converts heat produced by the plant into electricity. An electric energy conversion unit then converts this electricity into a constant voltage for storage in the emergency battery. This invention allows for the efficient storage and use of emergency battery power in the event of an emergency situation.

Problems solved by technology

In a nuclear power plant using a pressurized water reactor, an unexpected safety accident can occur even if a design of the nuclear power plant has an adequate margin of safety.

In case of an accident where a massive amount of a cooling water is caused to leak or a power supply is interrupted, a sufficient amount of an emergency cooling water may not be provided such that a reactor core is overheated to damage a nuclear reactor.

In case of the accident where the massive amount of the cooling water is caused to leak or the power supply is interrupted, if an emergency diesel generator, etc., breaks down, a power supply to the emergency core cooling apparatus and accident handling equipment cannot operate due to a power outage.

Although an emergency battery can be used to supply power to the emergency core cooling apparatus, thereby providing a cooling water to the reactor core, a typical emergency battery currently used in a domestic nuclear power plant has only about an 8 hour battery life.

Therefore, when a longer period of time is elapsed to handle the accident, the power supply to the emergency core cooling apparatus will be interrupted.

However, there has been no disclosure of techniques for charging the emergency battery by using a heat produced in the nuclear reactor through a thermoelectric generation device, thereby effectively supplying a power to the emergency core cooling apparatus when an accident occurs in which a power supply to the emergency core cooling apparatus is interrupted.

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